Sickle-bar mechanism.



L. 0./ FERBRACHE.

SIGKLE BAR MEGHANISM. APPLICATION- HLM DBO. 2a. 1912.

1,083,072. vPatentedl Dec. 30, 1913.

LOU 0. FERBRACHE, 0F COLUMBUS, MISSOURI.

sIcxLE-BAR MEcHANIsivr.

Specification of `Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 36, 1913.

Application filed December 28, 1912. Serial No. 739,033.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOU O. FERBRACHE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county ofJohnson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sickle-Bar Mechanisms, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to sickle bar mechanism, and the primary objectis to produce a mechanism of this character having means for holding andsupplying lubricant to the sickle bar while in operative position, forthe purpose of minimizing` wear and insuring efficient operation withoutthe deafening noise and rattle which accompanies the use of an ordinarysickle bar after it has been worn to a considerable extent.

A further object is to produce a construction which can be adjusted totake up wear and thus insure a comparatively snug lit of the sickle barirrespective of wear in the bearings.

With these general objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel and peculiar features of construction and organization ashereinafter described and claimed;

` and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1, is a top plan view of apart of a sickle bar mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is avertical section on line II-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a vertical sectionon line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a detail perspective view of oneof the fingers. Fig. 5, is a fragmentary perspective view of a barforming part of the invention to show one of a series of notches in saidbar.

In the said drawing, 1 is the stationary base or supporting bar providedat equidistant points with notches 2, and 3 are the customary fingersunderlying bar 1 at their rear ends and secured thereto by bolts andnuts 4 and 5, respectively. Each finger is provided with an upwardlyproject-ing rib 6 fitting in one of the notches 2 of bar 1, theengagement of the ribs with the notches enabling each finger to be heldreliably in position by a single bolt and nut. Each finger is formed inits upper side with the customary transverse channel 7, and isbifurcated as usual as at 8.

A boxing extending longitudinally of the bar 1, is constructed asfollows; 9 is a gutter- Shaped bearing lying in the channels or grooves7 of the fingers, and provided with a plurality of rearwardly projectingarms 10, underlying bar 1, the upper edge of said gutter-shaped bearingbeing beveled downwardly and forwardly as at 11, for a purpose whichhereinafter appears. rI he upper member 12 of the bearing is ofsegmental form and overlies the lower member and conjointly therewithforms a bearing for a cylindrical reciprocatory sickle bar 13 providedwith a longitudinal rib 14 projecting forwardly beyond the front marginof the members 9 and 12 of the bearing, the front edge of the last-namedmember overlapping the rear edges of the cutting teeth 15, of the sicklebar, said teeth as usual being adapted to operate through thebifurcations 8 of the fingers and in conjunction with the stationaryblades 16 set in the lingers in the customary manner as shown. The rearedge of the upper member of the boxing or bearing rests on the bevelededge of bearing 9, and in a plane above said edge is provided withrearwardly projecting arms 18 corresponding in number to and lying inthe same vertical plane as the arms 10 of the lower member, and saidarms 18 overlie and are spaced from bar 1 by washers 19. Extendingthrough said arms, washers and bar 1, are securing bolts 20 engaged attheir lower ends by clamping nuts 21, it being understood that the uppermember of the bearing or boxing is capable of being sprung downwardslightly so as to take up wear, and that in this downward adjustment,its rear edge fulcrums slightly on the rear edge of mem ber 9, thebeveling of the latter permitting the member 12 to have a slight rockingmovement. This beveling also serves another purpose, namely it providesin conjunction with the bar 13, a shallow magazine for the full lengthof said bar wherein oil may collect in the event it flows downwardaround the rear side of bar 13 more rapidly than it is enabled to workits way down under the said bar 13.

To clamp the upper member of the bearing or boxing iirmly down upon thebar 13, a series of clamp plates 22, preferably three or four in number,are secured to bar 1 by bolts 23 and 24 and nuts 25 and 26,respectively. These clamp plates have arched portions 27 overlying andfitting snugly upon the upper member 12 of the bearing or boxing, andterminating in spring terminals 28 which bear upon the sickle teeth tohold the same down upon the stationary plate 16. and when it is desiredto take up wear in the bearing or boxing, the nuts 26 are screwedfarther upon the bolts 24 and thus draw the front ends of the plates 22downward and incidentally spring the upper bearing downward until itfits snugly upon the sickle bar 18.

Each bearing plate 22 is provided vertically above the bar 13 with anopening 29 registering with an opening 30 in the member l2, theseregistering openings constituting magazines for holding a considerablequantity of lubricating oil or a packing 31 saturated with lubricatingoil and to exclude dust and grit from the openings 29, caps 32 areemployed, the same being hinged or otherwise secured to the clampingplates. From the foregoing it will be apparent that the sickle bar canbe kept properly lubricated.

lf desired the bar 13 may bey provided with a longitudinal groove 33connecting the different holes 30 so that lubricant may be distributedfor the full length of the bearing, it

being obvious that with a member i2 of from.

iive to'six feet in length, with three or four holes 30, thereciprocatory movement of the sickle bar would be insufficient to effectdistribution of lubricant from each hole or opening half way to theadjacent hole or opening, as the length of the stroke of the sickle barfalls materially short of the distance between adjacent clamping plates22.

From the above description it will. be apparent that I have produced asickle bar mechanism possessing the features of advantage enumerated asdesirable and l wish it to be understood that while I have illustratedand described the preferred embodiment of the invention, I reserve theright to make all changes properly falling within the spirit and scopeof the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim l. A sickle bar mechanism, comprising a bar, lingers projectingforwardly therefrom and provided adjacent the front edge of the bar withalined transverse grooves, a boxing consisting of a lower orgutter-shaped member extending through the grooves of the fingers, andan upper member of segmental form overlying the lower or gutter-shapedmember, means for securing the two members of the boxing to the saidbar, a cylindrical sickle bar extending parallel with the first-namedbar and fitting snugly in the boxing, eut-ting` blades secured to thereciprocatory bar and clamp plates secured to the first-named bar andbearing upon the upper member of the boxing.

2. A sickle bar mechanism, comprising a bar, fingers projectingforwardly therefrom and provided adjacent the front edge/ of the barwith alined transverse grooves, a boxing consisting of a lower orgutter-shaped member extending through the grooves of the ngers, and anupper member of segmental form overlying the lower or gutter-shapedmember, means for securing the two members of the boxing to the saidbar, a cylindrical sickle bar extending parallel with the first-namedbar and fitting snugly in the boxing, cutting blades secured to thereciproeatory bar and clamp plates secured to the first-named bar andbearing upon the upper member of the boxing and provided with springtongues projecting forward and Vengaging the blades.

3. A sickle bar mechanism, comprising a bar, fingers projectingforwardly therefrom and provided adjacent the front edge of the bar withalined transverse grooves, a boxing consisting of a lower orgutter-shaped member extending through the grooves of the fingers, andan upper member of segmental form overlying the lower or gutter shapedmember, means for securing the two members of the boxing to the saidbar, a cylindrical sickle bar extending parallel with the first-namedbar and fitting snugly in` the boxing, cutting blades secured to thereciprocatory bar, and clamp plates secured to the first-named bar andbearing upon the upper member of the boxing; said clamping plates andupper member of the boxing having registering lubricant-receivingopenings to feed lubricant into the boxing.

et. A sickle bar mechanism, comprising a bar, fingers projectingforwardly therefrom and provided adjacent the front edge of the bar withalined transverse grooves, a boxing consisting of a lower orgutter-shaped member extending through the grooves of the fingers, andan upper member of segmental form overlying the lower or gutter-shapedmember, means for securing the two members of the boxing to the saidbar, a cylindrical sickle bar extending parallel with the first-namedbar and fitting snugly in the boxing, cutting blades secured to theVreciprocatory bar, clamp plates secured to the firstnamed bar andbearing upon the upper member of the boxing; said clamping plates andupper member of the boxing. having registering lubricant-receivingopenings to feed lubricant into the boxing, and covers for said openingscarried by said clamp plates.

5. A sickle bar mechanism, comprising a bar, fingers projectingforwardly therefrom. and provided adjacent the front edge of the `barwith alined transverse grooves, a boxing consisting of a lower orgutter-shaped member extending through the grooves of the fingers, andan upper member of segmental form overlying the lower or gutter-shapedmember, means for securing the two members of the boxing to the saidbar, a cylindrical sickle bar extending parallel with the lfirst-namedbar and tting snugly in the boxing, cutting blades secured to thereciprocatory bar, clampV plates secured to the first-named bar andbearing upon the upper member of the boxing; said clamping plates andupper member of the boxing having registering lubricant-receivingopenings to feed lubricant into the boxing; said sickle bar having alongitudinal groove communicating with said openings, and locatedrearward of the vert-ical plane of the axis of the sickle bar.

6. A sickle bar mechanism, comprising a bar, fingers projecting forwardfrom said bar and provided near the front margin thereof with alinedtransverse channels, a boxing comprising upper and lower members, ofsegmental form in cross section, the lower or gutte-r-shaped memberhaving its upper rear edge beveled downwardly and inwardly and the uppermember having its rear edge resting on the beveled edge of the lowermember, arms projecting from said members at the under and upper sidesof said bar, washers interposed between the bar and the said. upperarms, bolts extending through said arms, washers and bar to clamp saidparts firmly together, clamp plates upon and bolted to said bar andresting attheir front ends upon the upper member, said member and saidclamp plates having registering openings for supplying lubricant to theinterior of the boxing, a cylindrical sickle bar arranged to reciprocatein said boxing, and cutting blades secured to and projecting forwardlyfrom said sickle bar.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

LOU 0. FERBRACHE.

Witnesses:

JOHN GILLILAN, WILLIAM S. WAKEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

